Rhosneigr

Rhosneigr is the kind of village that attracts a particular type of visitor: someone who has kite in the car and a wetsuit drying in the hallway. The beach here faces due west, catching both the Atlantic swell and the steady south-westerlies that make it one of the premier kitesurfing and windsurfing locations in the UK. Funsport and Gecko Surf both operate from the beach year-round, running BKSA-accredited lessons for beginners and clinics for those looking to improve.

But Rhosneigr is more than its waves. The village is genuinely low-key — a few streets of whitewashed cottages, a deli, a surf shop, and the Oyster Catcher perched above the dunes with what might be the finest terrace view on the island: the sun dropping behind the Irish Sea, the beach below still busy with kites even in October. It's the kind of place people stumble on and return to every year.

The beach itself widens dramatically at low tide to reveal flat expanses perfect for families — sandcastles, buckets and spades, the shallow water warm in summer. The dunes behind are a nature reserve, rich in orchids in June and July. The Crigyll estuary at the northern end is good for waders at low tide.

Rhosneigr sits on the A4080 between Llangefni and Aberffraw, about 12 miles from Menai Bridge. The train station — served by the Holyhead line — makes it one of the most accessible beach villages on the island by rail.